


Godzilla vs. the BAU

by mcgarrygirl78



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Drama, F/M, Family, Friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-12
Updated: 2014-10-12
Packaged: 2018-02-20 18:31:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,720
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2438609
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mcgarrygirl78/pseuds/mcgarrygirl78
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>So he sat and waited; something he was not good at.  The arrival of Elizabeth Prentiss wasn’t going to help his waning patience.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Godzilla vs. the BAU

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for the alphabet meme and [](http://twinsfan33.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://twinsfan33.livejournal.com/)**twinsfan33** ’s prompt of **X is for Xanthippe**. It’s a totally awesome word that means ill-tempered woman.

Hotch heard the tapping of her expensive heels on the linoleum floor. He looked up but didn’t have time to say a word before the assault began.

“Agent Hotchner, my daughter is hurt.” She said, concern and anger flashing in eyes so much like Emily’s. “My daughter is hurt and I had to find out about it third hand.”

“Ambassador Prentiss…”

“When were you going to call me? Were you going to call me at all? I may not be her next of kin but I am her mother. Is this how the FBI conducts business, Agent Hotchner? Was her father called and informed? I am her mother! I want to know right now how my daughter is doing. Answer me!”

“With all due respect, ma'am,” Hotch took the deepest breath he could muster and put on his Hotch mask. He was not going ten rounds tonight, least of all with Elizabeth Prentiss. “You need to curb your tone.”

“Don’t you talk to me that way. Where is my daughter?”

“Ambassador Prentiss,” JJ walked over. She knew this wasn’t going to end well any way you looked at it. Better she get the beat down than Hotch; he’d been through enough.

“Jennifer, where is my daughter? Why wasn’t I called as soon as something happened? I want answers to my questions.”

“Ma'am, just come with me.” she put a gentle arm around Elizabeth. “I’ll make sure you get answers to all of your questions. So much happened and it happened so fast…we didn’t have time to call anyone. Getting Emily and Agent Morgan to a hospital was first and foremost on everyone’s minds. But no one left you out on purpose. Please come with me.”

Elizabeth looked at Hotch, still flashing brimstone. He had no idea what stopped him from slapping her across her angry face. How dare she come in there and act that way? She was just so used to being the boss of everything. She wasn’t the boss of this dammit; she wasn’t by a long shot.

They were all waiting for news on Emily. Morgan was going to be fine. He had to sit through a few stitches and a complete medical workup but it wasn’t the first time and surely wouldn’t be the last. Prentiss was in surgery right now. The explosion had been small but it rocked the bank and everyone who was running outside when it happened.

It was the third explosion in as many weeks in large banks between Baltimore and DC. So many people were on edge; they didn’t know who was behind this or what to expect. Every agency was involved in trying to solve this; the FBI, the Secret Service, Homeland Security, even the CIA. It wasn’t easy for the teams to work together, or with local PDs, but they all managed to do the best they could. Solving it was what mattered most…territorial pissings could come with the press conferences.

Hotch wanted to rush in, get his people out, but the bomb squad was on him as if he was the Unsub. No one in the BAU wanted to watch what might be about to happen. But they also knew Morgan and Prentiss weren't leaving until everyone was out. It was a crowded Friday mid-morning; there were a lot of lives to consider.

The bomb threw Prentiss a few feet and she landed on the hard concrete. It wasn’t easy for the people who cared about her to see. But she was conscious, if not dazed and in pain, when the ambulance rushed her to the hospital. Hotch could still hear the last words she said ringing in his ear as the ambulance doors closed. She told him to stay and look after the scene.

How was he supposed to do that when she was in such pain? But he did. He kept his Hotch mask on and he did his job completely. Then he and the rest of the BAU got to the hospital to check on their teammates. They hadn't been there an hour when the Ambassador showed up.

He didn’t know where she got her information but she was connected. Hotch hadn't called anyone. He didn’t want to worry her father and stepmother unnecessarily. The doctors said Prentiss would survive her wounds.

But they hadn't exactly told Hotch how severe the injuries were. You could survive and be blind, paralyzed, or something worse. So he sat and waited; something he was not good at. The arrival of Elizabeth Prentiss wasn’t going to help his waning patience.

“Its OK, Aaron.” Dave came and put his arm around his old friend.

“It’s not OK. What right does she think she has to…?”

“What's that kind of talk or behavior going to accomplish? We’re here for Emily, not her mother. JJ will pacify the situation. Just let her do her job.”

“I don’t want to…I need to take a walk.”

“Hotch…?”

“I can't Dave; I just need to take a walk.”

Hotch didn’t want to leave but he felt as if was about to explode. He wasn’t a big fan of Elizabeth Prentiss on a regular day. She was a formidable woman; strong, capable, and intelligent just like her daughter. But she was also under the impression that her wants and needs came first. Deep down, Hotch knew she was worried about Emily.

She was her mother after all. But she was no more worried than anyone else in the waiting room. They had been there, seen Emily thrown from a building that had just been bombed. Why were her third hand feelings any more valid than their first hand feelings?

***

“Just tell me what happened, Jennifer. I can handle it.”

“Actually ma'am, the details are classified right now.”

“I have a very high grade…classified means nothing to me.”

“With all due respect ma'am, I cannot risk my job for you. I'm sure the press is already running with what little information they have so you’ve seen something on the news. The bottom line is there was a bombing. Emily was in the process of helping people out of the building. We didn’t want mass casualties. The bomb went off while she was doing that and she was injured.”

“How badly?” Elizabeth asked.

“She’s in surgery right now but doctors have told us that she will survive her injuries.”

“What is she in surgery for?”

“We’re not entirely sure.” JJ replied. “They’ve been a little sketchy with us as well but they’re doing the best job they can to make sure Emily’s alright.”

“Did Agent Hotchner call my ex-husband and his wife?” Elizabeth asked.

JJ didn’t want to answer that. She didn’t want to be in the middle of a family feud that should've ended decades ago. Emily told her that her parents divorced when she was ten; she was almost 40. The divorce had been at her mother’s request. Yet here Elizabeth sat trying to get information on the other Ambassador Prentiss and his wife. The liaison took a deep breath.

“No one in the Prentiss family has been informed of the situation.” She replied. “Agent Hotchner didn’t want them to be worried after the doctors told us that she would survive. I will be contacting them as soon as she’s out of surgery and we have a full report on her well being. I can do the same for you, ma'am.”

“I'm staying right here. I know I'm probably not Emily’s next of kin but I am her mother. I’ll hear my information first hand, thank you very much.”

“Is there anything I can do to make you comfortable?” JJ asked, stamping down the urge to pull a Hotchalanche on the woman. She had a child; she knew that Emily’s mother was probably scared to death right now. She was reacting in the only way she knew how. Elizabeth Prentiss knew how to throw her power and weight around.

“I would love a cup of tea.” She said. “I know I can be thorny, Agent Jareau, but at the end of the day Emily is my child. She's a grown woman and can stand on her own. That never stops me from worrying about her, considering what it is she does for a living.”

“I do understand.” JJ put her hand over Elizabeth’s. “But you have to understand that you won't get anywhere jumping in our Unit Chief’s face, ma'am. Hotch is just as concerned about Emily’s wellbeing as you are. I’ll get you that tea.”

“Thank you.”

JJ went back out into the hallway. Rossi and Reid were sitting by the nurse’s station. She knew Morgan was being stitched up somewhere down the hall.

“Where's Hotch?” she asked.

“He said he needed air.” Rossi replied. “Is Ambassador Prentiss pacified?”

“Yeah, I think she’s OK. Now I have to find her some tea.”

“I’ll go JJ.” Reid stood. “I could use a walk myself…and some coffee. I’ll be right back.”

“Thank you so much Spencer.”

“And then there were two.” Rossi said as the younger agent headed for the elevator.

“I wish the doctors would come back and give us something. My stomach is all tied in knots and I know it’s not just because Emily’s mother pulled her patented Godzilla routine.”

***

“Derek?” Emily whispered as she started to come out of her medically induced sleep. “Morgan, where are you? Morgan?”

“Emily?” Elizabeth rushed to her daughter’s bed, taking her hand.

“Morgan?” Emily was crying in her sleep. “Please answer me, Morgan…are you alright?”

“Emily darling wake up. Open your eyes, sweetheart; you're going to be OK.”

“Mother?” she started coming around. Emily opened her eyes and saw the hazy figure standing in front of her. “Mother, is that you?”

“Yes, it’s me Emily. I'm here and you're going to be alright.”

“Where's Morgan? Is he alright? Please tell me he's alright.”

“He's going to be fine, and so are you. You're in the hospital sweetheart.”

Emily didn’t seem to care about herself. She seemed relieved that Morgan was alright and had no control over the tears that slid down her face after she heard that. She wanted to be sure that everyone made it out of the bank alive. She wanted to make sure the locals didn’t have any casualties. Elizabeth stopped her from talking; she needed to rest. She’d just come out of surgery and didn’t need to be concerned about anything but getting better.

“Where's Aaron?” she whispered, the medicine already taking her back under.

That was probably a good thing. She didn’t feel anything right now but she was sure there would be pain later. There was a vivid memory of blinding pain as she hit the concrete. Then she passed out for a little while before coming to while being loaded on a stretcher. She remembered Hotch wanted to come with her but she didn’t let him. He had to stay and do his job; he couldn’t violate Rule #1 for this.

“I didn’t hear you, Emily.” Her mother leaned closer.

“Aaron,” her eyes slid closed. “I need to see Aaron.”

Elizabeth held her hand until she was sure Emily was back to sleep. She let go, also releasing the breath she’d been holding since Jennifer Jareau left her in the lounge area. She wasn’t sure how quickly or well Emily would recover but she was alive and right now that was the only thing that mattered. She would deal with the rest as it came along. It had already been such a long, excruciating day. Elizabeth knew if it felt that way for her then it had been triple for her daughter.

***

There was thunder above her the next time Emily opened her eyes. The harsh lighting had been turned down and she could see a little better. She saw his shape, standing by the rain soaked window. She wanted to reach out to him but her whole body hurt. Yeah, this wasn’t going to be good was it?

“Ow.” She whispered, causing him to turn around. He smiled at her and came to sit by her hospital bed.

“You're gonna kill me for this but we both know it could’ve been worse.”

“So every bone in my body isn’t broken?”

“No.” Hotch shook his head. “Your left arm, your right wrist, and your left ankle are broken. No collarbone, tailbone, or clavicle. There was a lot of shrapnel that could leave you some gnarly scars but you were really lucky. The blast pushing you outward probably saved your life.”

“The fall didn’t kill me?”

“No, thank God.” Hotch took her scarred hand and kissed it.

“Who the hell called my mother?” Emily asked. “As soon as I can stand I plan to kick their ass so you better tell me. Was it you?”

“I don’t want you getting upset about that. No one did as a matter of fact. She heard about it, don’t ask me how, and came storming up here. We did our best to accommodate her.”

“What about Dad and Natalie?”

“I wasn’t calling anyone until you came out of surgery. As soon as the doctors told me you were in recovery and you were going to be alright after a lot of rest and recuperation, I called them. They were here but I sent them home about an hour ago. The nurses didn’t think you would wake up again tonight.”

“What's a girl gotta do for a clove and some good drugs?” Emily asked.

It even hurt a little to smile but that didn’t stop her. She was alive, mangled but alive. Hotch was there holding her hand. There were no casualties at the bank and she and Morgan would live to fight another day. All of that was worth smiling about, pain be damned.

But the pain was gonna kick her ass. Emily knew it wasn’t morphine pain though. She’d probably get some codeine or some Vicodin. There was no use complaining about that. What she really wanted was a clove and a stiff drink. It had been that kind of day.

“There won't be cloves for a couple of days at least.” Hotch replied. “But I'm sure a nurse can give you some of the good drugs.”

“Mmm, yeah.” she nodded. “Water first; I'm so thirsty.”

“Sure.”

Hotch took the water pitcher from the table and filled up the 8 ounce glass. He was sure that Emily would need a few of these. Putting a straw in it, he gave her the first one. He had to hold it up for her and it was gone in about twenty seconds. The second and third went just as fast.

“I guess I won't be getting up out of this bed to go to the bathroom, will I?”

“Again, not for a couple of days at least.” He said.

“Well if I'm gonna be stuck in the hospital I may as well be all the way stuck.” She frowned. “Are you sure every bone in my body isn’t broken…it definitely feels like it.”

“I’ll get the nurse.” Hotch was gentle as he caressed her bruised face. “I'm so grateful you're gonna be alright. The two hours you were in surgery were nothing short of hell on earth. If I’d have lost you; I don’t want to think about that.”

“And you had my mother to contend with. They should pin a medal on you.”

“JJ is the one who should get the medal for that one.” Hotch kissed her lips. “I love you.”

“Aww, I love you too. Get me meds, Aaron.”

“Yes ma'am.” He smiled and left the room to get a nurse.

She closed her eyes again, cringing as she felt the pain creep into her weary muscles and broken bones. A few days sleep might be a good thing. It was surely something Emily was lacking these days. She’d rather do that then actually be aware that she was trapped in a hospital. As soon as she got some of her strength back, she would check Hotch for any singe marks her mother may have left behind. But maybe in a couple of days he would be recovered as well. They were all gonna be alright…it was just another adventurous day at the office.

***

  



End file.
